With personnel costs accounting for 60% of the total ownership cost of Navy ships, the role - and number - of people onboard has come under increased scrutiny. Target manning numbers for DD 21, the next-generation destroyer class, are approximately one quarter of the ship class it will replace. While automation and other advanced technologies can greatly decrease the need for a "human in the loop," the reduced manning environment presents new challenges for training. Redundancy in expertise and manning coverage for "on the job" training in this new environment is dramatically decreased; watchstanders and maintainers must come aboard as "Full Up Rounds," immediately ready to perform their duties. This philosophical shift must be accompanied by changes to current Navy training - from training management to training pipelines to training delivery methodologies. When viewed as an integral part of the ship's operational concept, training becomes an enabler for reduced crew sizes, rather than a burden to be dealt with after ship design.

From 1999 through 2000, a joint government/industry team met with several Navy groups to discuss the ramifications of greatly reduced crew sizes on Navy training. These focus groups - which ranged from representatives of pre-commissioning and post-deployment crews to members of training commands - provided great insight into today's Navy training experience: what works well, what doesn't, and what (sometimes subtle) changes can have a tremendously positive impact on crewmembers' ability to be "Ready to Fight."

This paper (1) briefly describes the methodology used to collect user input, (2) identifies and discusses the issues raised in these focus groups, (3) describes a training model suggested as an outcome of these sessions, and (4) suggests areas requiring further study.